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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · kid · pound · leaves · cue · rush · craft · root

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kid — child
  5. root — the cause
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. row — a line
  11. craft — boats
  12. kid — to tease
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. cue — a signal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. root — of a word
  19. cue — for pool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cue — a hint
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. pound — for dogs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com